Stand for a writing point, especially for tubular pens

ABSTRACT

A tiltable stand or holder for a tubular writing instrument, including a pivotable socket for retaining the writing instrument point and an upper horizontally extending bar, engaging the upper end of the writing pen.

i W, United States atent 1191 [111 3,70,676 Anderka [451 Apr. 3, 1973541 STAND FOR A WRITDIG POINT, 1,392,523 12/1932 Perrier ..211/69.7

ESPECIALLY FOR TUBULAR PENS 1,777,741 10/1930 Benson ..211/69.6

1,629,574 /1927 31116.... ..211/69.7 [75] lnvenm" Gerold Anderka,Hamburg 2,110,007 3/1938 "rem ..211/69.7 y 747,066 12/1903 Hazeltine..211/69.5 2,957,270 /1960 Kennamer ..2l1/69.5 [73] Assgnee 3,139,8657/1964 Aimes ..211/69.5 2,307,511 1/1943 Johnson ..21l/69.7 [22] Filed:Mar. 12, 1971 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [211 App]. No.: 123,745

11,969 5/1903 Austria ..211/69.5

[] Foreign Application Priority Data Pn-mmy Examiner Roy Frazier May 5,1970 Gennany ..o 16 831.9 Assistant EmminerAbraham FrankelAttorney-David H. Semmes [52] US. Cl ..2ll/69.7, 211/69.8 51 Int. Cl...B43k 31/00 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search "21,1/ 6 A tiltable stand orholder for a tubular Writing instrument, including a pivotable socketfor retaining the writing instrument point and an upper horizontally ex-[56] Reterences Cited tending bar, engaging the upper end of the writingUNITED STATES PATENTS P 1,675,543 7/1928 Fremon ..21l/69.7 2 Claims, 3Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPR3 I973 INVEHTOI GEROLD ANDERKA ATTUINEY STANDFOR A WRITING POINT, ESPECIALLY FOR TUBULAR PENS This invention relatesto a penholder for a writing utensil, particularly a tube writing pen.

In previously proposed penholders comprising a socket element tiltablymounted in a. carrier, for the reception of at least one writingutensil, the socket element is usually designed for the reception of anentire set of writing utensils, such as a set of tube writing pens eachpen being for the production of a trace of different thickness. Thesocket element is tiltable and thus permits the writing utensil to beplaced upright irrespective as to whether the penholder stands on alevel surface or whether it has been suspended. For the protection ofthe writing utensils, a covering hood is conventionally provided andplaced over the socket element and the writing utensils, this hood beingsupported on cooperating edges of the carrier. These conventionalpenholders are rather large and bulky and, together with the coveringhood, they cannot be attached for instance to a drawing board.

Another difficulty which arises in such conventional penholders is thatthe writing utensils are not tightly held or safely retained and thatall the writing utensils will therefore fall out of the holder when thisis accidentally knocked over. This may result in the writing utensilsbeing damaged or fouled.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact penholderfor tube writing pens, which will safely retain the writing utensilswithout at the same time preventing them from being taken out easily.

According to the present invention there is provided a penholder for awriting utensil wherein a socket element for the reception of at leastone writing utensil, is tiltably mounted in a carrier, and wherein thereis fixed to the carrier a hail of which the upper end extends over so asto be capable of bearing down on the upper end of a writing utensil whenthe socket element containing the writing utensil is in a retainingposition. This form of construction will therefore prevent-the writingutensil from being taken out or from falling out whilst the socketelement is in retaining position.

In order to prevent the writing point of the writing utensil from dryingout, the socket element may contain a receptacle made of a softelastically deformable material, the upper edge of the receptacleserving as a seating and sealing edge for cooperation with an annularshoulder or collar on the writing utensil. This arrangement ensures thatthe point of the writing utensil will not touch the bottom of the socketelement.

If the distance between the underside of the part of the bail thatextends over the end of the writing utensil andthe top edge of thereceptacle in retaining position is slightly less than the distancebetween the upper end of the writing utensil and its annular shoulder orcollar resting on the top edge of the receptacle, then the upper end ofthe bail will apply gentle downward pressure and urge the writingutensil down into the yielding receptacle. The writing utensil will thusbe safely held in its socket irrespective of the position of the carrierand at the same time the writing point cannot dry out.

Moreover, in order to prevent the upper end of the writing utensil fromfouling the upper end of the bail when the writing utensil is tiltedinto retaining position, the part of the bail that extends over the endof the writing utensil may project beyond the end, and the projectingportion of the part of the bail may have an inclined underside.

The present penholder may be designed to retain the writing utensil in avertical or horizontal position. For this purpose, the bottom of thecarrier and the outer face of the bail may be flat to permit thepenholder to stand securely on the underside of the carrier or to lie onthe outside face of the bail.

Frequently it may be desirable to attach the penholder to a drawingboard or the like. For this purpose, part of the bail may bewedge-shaped to permit it to be slidably'inserted into correspondingconnecting means on a support and to be removed therefrom wheneverdesired.

An alternative means of attachment may be the provision of connectingelements on the side walls of the carrier that are parallel to thetilting plane of the socket element, one side wall being provided with afemale connecting element and the other side wall with a correspondingmale element, the connecting element preferably being of dovetailcross-section. This arrangement permits the penholder to be detachablyaffixed to a support and several penholders can be detachably connectedtogether to form a set.

In order to enable the invention to be more readily understood,reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate diagrammatically and by way of example an embodiment thereof,and in which: I

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a penholder,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the penholder shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the penholder shown in FIG. 1.

The penholder shown in the drawings, consists of a carrier 2 in which asocket element 3 is pivotally mounted to tilt about an axis 6. As willbe understood from FIGS. 1 and 3 the bottom end of the socket element isembraced by the carrier on three sides. The socket element can be tiltedabout its axis 6 towards the open side, the tilting being limited by astep 11 striking a projection 13 formed in the carrier 2 (FIG. 1).

Attached to the side of the carrier remote from the open side is a bail4 with a curved upper end 4 adapted to arch over the upper end of awriting utensil ll when the socket is in its retaining position, i.e.,in the position in which the socket element bears against the inside ofthe rear wall of the carrier remote from the open side. This is theposition illustrated in FIG. 1.

The bottom of the socket contains a receptacle 5 made of a soft andelastically yielding material, such as silicone rubber. The writingutensil which is here only schematically indicated, and which may be atube writing pen, has an annular shoulder or collar 7 which sealinglyrests on the upper edge of the receptacle 5 and thus prevents thewriting or drawing point of the writing utensil from touching the bottomof the socket.

For retaining the writing utensil 1 in its socket under gentle pressure,the distance between the top edge of the receptacle 5 and the undersideof the arched top 4' of the bail is slightly less than the distancebetween the annular shoulder 7 and the upper end of the writing utensil.Hence the arched portion 4' of the bail will apply a gentle pressure tothe writing utensil, keeping the annular shoulder 7 in sealing contactwith the deformed receptacle.

For removing the writing utensil 1 from its holder, the utensil,together with the socket 3, is tilted clockwise (in FIG. 1) about theaxis 6 until the step 11 strikes the projection 13. The writing utensilcan then be taken out.

For locating the writing utensil in the holder the utensil, togetherwith the socket is tilted back into the retaining position shown inFIG. 1. This brings the upper end of the writing utensil 1 into contactwith the arched portion 4', but the sloping edge of the underside of thearch 4 prevents the end of the pen from fouling the edge by guiding itsmoothly underneath the arch which then applies the gentle pressure asabove described.

As will be understood by reference to FIG. 1, the underside of thecarrier 2 and the outer surface of the bail 4 are flat so that theholder can stand on its base or lie on the outside of the bail. Ineither position the socket can be tilted to permit the writing utensilto be inserted into the socket without any trouble.

For securing the holder to a support, several possibilities areavailable. For instance part 8 of the bail 4, which forms part of theholder 2 may be wedge-shaped to permit of its insertion into a suitablycontrived receiving means.

Moreover, connecting elements having a dovetail cross-section may beprovided on the external walls of the carrier that are parallel with thetilting plane of the socket element. One of the outside walls may beformed with a male connecting element 9, whereas the opposite externalwall may be formed with the correspondingly shaped female element 10. Asindicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the male element 9 is insertable into thefemale element 10' of a support plate 12. This support plate may beattached to a drawing board or to any other suitable base. The femaleelement 10' has the same shape as the female element 10 on the carrier2. When the penholder has been attached to a support plate 12, aconnecting element on another holder similar to the male element 9 canbe inserted into the female element 10. In this way two or more holderscan be coupled together side by side and held by the same support plate.

It is naturally also possible to join several holders of this kind bycoupling their male elements 9 with their female elements 10 withoutnecessarily attaching them to a special support plate. Moreover, thejoined holders may be attached to a support means by making use of theirwedge-shaped extensions 8.

The carrier and the socket of the present penholder may be convenientlymade of a plastics material, preferably a transparent plastics material.

What we claim is:

1. A penholder for a writing utensil comprising:

A. a carrier, including:

i. a bottom portion;

ii. a back portion, both said bottom and back portions having flatexternal faces adapted for selectively positionally supporting saidpenholder in an upright or horizontal position;

iii. spaced opposed side portions conjointly forming an open face andend mounting compartment, one said side portion of said carrier having awedge-shaped extension on the external surface thereof adapted formounting said carrier to an external support means;

B. an open end writing utensil receiving socket element pivotallymounted in said carrier mounting compartment between said spaced opposedside portions and being tiltable outwardly through said open face to autensil removing position; and the external walls of said side portionsbeing parallel to the tilting plane of said socket element and providedwith connecting extensions, one being a female connecting element andthe other a corresponding male connecting element; and

C. a bail extending from said carrier back portion as a continuationthereof, said bail having a flat side as a continuation of said carrierback portion to facilitate horizontal positional support of saidpenholder, and said bail having an upper angularly disposed free endextending over the upper end of the writing utensil when mounted in saidsocket element, and in resilient bearing engagement therewith forselectively operatively retaining said utensil in said socket element,and permitting removal therefrom with said socket element tiltedoutwardly from said mounting compartment, said utensil receiving socketelement being generally rectangularly configured and having a generallycylindrical shaped lower end, and means pivotally interconnecting saidlower end between said spaced opposed side portions, a raised projectionon the interior surface of said bottom portion, a raised step on saidlower cylindrical end of said utensil receiving socket element, saidprojection and said step cooperating upon tilting of said socket elementout of said mounting compartment as a positional stop means for thesocket element in a writing utensil removal position.

2. A penholder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connecting elements aredovetailed coupling elements.

I8 I. i i

1. A penholder for a writing utensil comprising: A. a carrier,including: i. a bottom portion; ii. a back portion, both said bottom andback portions having flat external faces adapted for selectivelypositionally supporting said penholder in an upright or horizontalposition; iii. spaced opposed side portions conjointly forming an openface and end mounting compartment, one said side portion of said carrierhaving a wedge-shaped extension on the external surface thereof adaptedfor mounting said carrier to an external support means; B. an open endwriting utensil receiving socket element pivotally mounted in saidcarrier mounting compartment between said spaced opposed side portionsand being tiltable outwardly through said open face to a utensilremoving position; and the external walls of said side portions beingparallel to the tilting plane of said socket element and provided withconnecting extensions, one being a female connecting element and theother a corresponding male connecting element; and C. a bail extendingfrom said carrier back portion as a continuation thereof, said bailhaving a flat side as a continuation of said carrier back portion tofacilitate horizontal positional support of said penholder, and saidbail having an upper angularly disposed free end extending over theupper end of the writing utensil when mounted in said socket element,and in resilient bearing engagement therewith for selectivelyoperatively retaining said utensil in said socket element, andpermitting removal therefrOm with said socket element tilted outwardlyfrom said mounting compartment, said utensil receiving socket elementbeing generally rectangularly configured and having a generallycylindrical shaped lower end, and means pivotally interconnecting saidlower end between said spaced opposed side portions, a raised projectionon the interior surface of said bottom portion, a raised step on saidlower cylindrical end of said utensil receiving socket element, saidprojection and said step cooperating upon tilting of said socket elementout of said mounting compartment as a positional stop means for thesocket element in a writing utensil removal position.
 2. A penholder asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the connecting elements are dovetailedcoupling elements.